


I'll Always Find A Way To Get To You

by everylittlebreeze



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Bruises, Caring Betty Cooper, F/M, Fluff, Hurt Jughead Jones, Hurt/Comfort, Jughead Jones Needs a Hug, Kissing, Love, Missing Moment 3x17, Missing Scene, Plans For The Future, Romeo and Juliet References, Slight Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 23:24:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18292295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everylittlebreeze/pseuds/everylittlebreeze
Summary: A missing moment from 3x17 where Betty goes to take care of Jughead after his fall from the second story window. Lots of fluff.





	I'll Always Find A Way To Get To You

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Readers!
> 
> This is my take on a moment I believe should have taken place between Betty & Jughead after his fall. That drop seemed pretty far, so I'm guessing he's probably pretty bruised up.
> 
> Mostly Bughead, (very) slight mention of Varchie. Lots of kissing.
> 
> Mostly just a missing piece where Betty sneaks around to make sure her man is doing okay.

Betty Cooper nearly dropped her phone when she heard F.P. Jones’ voice say, “Betty, he fell from a two-story window.”

Her heart stopped beating for a few seconds; the world froze around her. Was this actually happening? Again?

His statement was immediately followed up with a quick response, “He’s okay, he’s fine, he’s just a little bruised up.”

A moment of silence passed.

“Betty?” F.P. asked.

Finally, Betty started breathing again as some feeling flooded back into her limbs.

“A little - a little bruised up?” Betty choked out.

“Yes, Betty. He’s okay, we’re at home, he’s resting. Do you want to come see him in the morning?”

“Sure, Mr. Jones,” she replied quickly.

“Okay, Betty. Try to get some sleep, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight,” Betty replied, ending the call.

Before she could even press the button to put her phone to sleep, she was up out of her booth at Pops, running across town back to her old home.

Like hell she was going to wait until morning…

Exactly twelve minutes later, she realized that getting into her old house was going to be more difficult than she thought.

Betty racked her brain, trying to think where the Jones’ would hide their spare key, when a memory popped into her brain.

She smiled at the thought of Jughead climbing through her bedroom window the first time he kissed her, dragging that ladder all the way from Fred Andrews’ backyard and climbing up to her like the true Romeo he was.

She wondered if Fred’s ladder was still in the same spot…

Creeping slowly around her old home, she reached the rusty, iron gate that separated the two properties.

Pushing carefully, she opened the gate with a loud creak, wincing at the noise. Just a few steps further…

Vegas whipped around the corner, barking loudly, sending Betty flying to close the gate. With another loud screech, the gate shut as Vegas jumped up onto Betty.

“Hey, boy, I’ve missed you,” Betty laughed as Vegas continued to bark.

“Vegas? Come on, boy!” Archie yelled as the back porch light flickered on. “What’re you doing? Vegas?”

A small scuffle was heard as Archie picked something up off the ground.

Scrambling, Betty searched for an excuse as Archie rounded the corner.

“Who’s there?” Archie asked, baseball bat raised high above his head.

“Just me,” Betty called out, rubbing Vegas’ thick, soft fur.

“Betty?” Archie questioned, squinting in the dark. 

“Hey, Arch!” Betty replied cheerily, scratching Vegas behind the ears. Vegas ran back and forth between his owner and Betty, tongue wagging.

“What’re you doing in my backyard so late?” Archie asked, dropping the bat onto the ground.

“I, um, was looking for a wrench!” Betty replied, wincing at her terrible excuse.

“A wrench…” Archie responded suspiciously.

“Oh, yeah, Veronica’s car broke down, and you know, they have zero tools over there at the Pembrooke,” Betty explained, pausing for emphasis.

Archie looked slightly confused, so she continued.

“V wanted to take it to the shop, but I told her I could fix it myself, and it’s late, so all the shops are closed. I was going to look in my old garage, but Gladys must have changed the passcode to open the garage door, so I thought I’d come here.”

Betty internally smiled, proud of her well-fashioned explanation.

Archie’s suspicious glance quickly faded. “Oh, alright,” he said. “If Ronnie needs help, I can go over there…”

“Nope, I’ve got it, Arch, just where’s your wrench?”

“In here,” Archie nodded toward his garage, a brief look of sadness crossing his face.

Betty followed him through the side door of the garage, keeping her eyes peeled for the ladder. Once inside, she noted the forsaken object, perched on its side against the battered wall of the Andrews’ garage.

Archie stepped over to a bright red toolbox and flipped open the lid, while Betty internally questioned how on earth she was going to get that ladder out of there without him noticing.

Archie walked over to her, carrying an adjustable wrench. “Here you go,” he said. “Need anything else?”

“I don’t think so, thanks!” Betty replied. She thought quickly on her feet. “But would you mind leaving your garage unlocked just in case? I don’t want to wake you up again…”

“Sure!” Archie responded with a smile. “And I’ll take Vegas into the house.”

“Thanks, Arch! Goodnight!” Betty said cheerfully, following him out of the garage’s side door once again. She watched him lead Vegas back inside with a wave, which she jovially returned, before letting out a sigh of relief.

Tucking the wrench partway into the pocket of her jeans, she ran back inside and grabbed the ladder, slowly tiptoeing out of the garage, shutting the door quietly on her way out.

The iron gate opened and closed with yet another loud creak, and then she was huffing and puffing her way across the lawn to her old bedroom window. She prayed it was unlocked.

Tipping the ladder against the side of the house, she steadied herself before taking a deep breath and beginning to climb.

When she reached the last rung, she looked down and shuddered at the thought of her boyfriend falling that far to the ground. He was definitely lucky that he wasn’t killed…

She gingerly tugged at the window, breathing a sigh of relief that it was unlocked. Opening it and climbing in carefully, she spun around and closed the window behind her.

When she turned back to face her old room, grinning at her success, she nearly jumped three feet in the air.

Lying on her bed was a dark figure.

She peered through the dark. Who was in her bed?

She crept forward. Gladys was definitely in the master bedroom downstairs, most likely with F.P.. Jellybean was in Polly’s old room, and she knew for certain that Jughead was sleeping in the guest room.

Although she had moved out a lot of her clothes, and a few other important things, the room still felt somewhat like hers. She remembered that the first thing she packed was her favorite photo of herself and Jughead that used to be on her nightstand, her arms wrapped around his neck, and her beanie-less boyfriend caught mid-laugh, gazing into her eyes.

She crept forward before breathing out a sigh of relief when she realized that said figure was Jughead himself.

His tall frame was curled up, facing her, and he looked like he was in a lot of pain as he clutched a pillow tightly and laid on top of the covers.

A couple steps closer, and she bent down to kiss him lightly on the lips.

He stirred, waking up with a groan. “Betts?” Jughead mumbled.

“Hi, Juggie,” she said softly.

“Am I dreaming?” Jughead asked, turning further onto his side. As he did so, a moan of pain poured out of him. “Nope, definitely not dreaming,” he whispered.

Betty sat down at the side of the bed, on her knees, and peered into his eyes. “A two story, window, Jug? What were you thinking?”

“It wasn’t me, it was Kurtz…” Jughead replied. “I thought I had him, but then he said that he was ‘ready to ascend,’ and before I knew it, he was backing me up and shoving me through a boarded window.”

“You fell onto your back?” Betty asked, a concerned look flitting across her face as she imagined a broken spine, paralyzation, Jughead never being able to stride into a room again with his unmistakable charisma.

She shook her head free of the terrifying thoughts as he nodded at her.

“Can you turn over?” Betty asked.

Jughead grimaced, but slowly fell onto his stomach, his cheek pressed against the pillow as he kept his eyes on her.

Slowly but surely, she pulled up his t-shirt, trying not to shudder at the sight. As she did so, Betty almost wished that her eyes had not adjusted to the darkness of the room.

Black, blue, and purple covered almost the entirety of his back. A few select spots near his spine still withheld their usual appearance, but the rest looked extraordinarily painful, mottled splotches that blended together to form one gigantic, map-like bruise.

“Oh, Juggie,” she whispered, reaching out to carefully run her fingers over the swollen surface of his back. 

Jughead shivered at her touch, goosebumps covering the patchwork of his skin.

“It hurts a lot more now that the adrenaline has worn off,” he admitted. “But I’m okay.”

He certainly didn’t look okay.

She leaned forward, pressing a feather-light kiss to a small spot of skin that wasn’t bruised near the line of his boxers.

She moved up, carefully kissing all the spots she could see that didn’t have purple, blue, or black marks, until she reached his neck.

“Did you bruise anything else?” Betty whispered in his ear.

She watched as the goosebumps erupted over his body once again.

“Yes,” he replied, his voice changing to a more flirtatious tone. “Basically everything is bruised.”

She let out a small chuckle, kissing him on the tip of his nose. A smile spread across his face, and he quickly leaned up, kissing her forehead.

“I’m serious, Juggie,” she replied, smiling softly. “Right now, I really need to know what else is bruised, or broken, for that matter.

He sighed deeply. “I might have sprained my wrist, but I’ll have to wait and see,” he answered.

“And you’re not going to the hospital?” Betty asked.

“Gladys won’t have that,” he muttered darkly. “Giving me the chance to explain to a doctor how I fell out a window while trying to catch the guy who is cooking up all the drugs for her new Riverdale drug empire? She’d never let that happen.”

Betty carefully placed her head on the pillow next to Jughead’s.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “We’ll take her down. Just one villain at a time, but we have to get you better first.”

Jughead moved forward a bit, kissing her softly.

As Betty thought about all the things that could have happened, she leaned into him further, and the kiss became increasingly passionate.

He reached over and put his arm around her back, almost pulling her onto the bed with him while using his uninjured hand. One more tug at the back of her jeans, and she was laying next to him.

His hidden strength never failed to amaze her, and, even when he was in pain, Jughead remained extremely agile.

She threaded both of her hands through his wavy, black, beanie-free hair, trying to get as close to him as she possibly could.

He stopped for a brief time, and moved his lips to her jaw, leaving a burning hot trail down her neck until he paused for a moment, laughter in his voice.

“Is that a wrench coming out of your pocket?”

She chuckled in response, pulling the wrench out and setting it on the nightstand. “Yes, it’s a long story. I had to get in here somehow, and I came up with this excuse…”

Jughead cut her off with his lips, but she could still tell that a smile was gracing his mouth.

Betty could feel the intense love radiating from Jughead’s entire being, and she moved even closer, fervently trying to show him just how much he meant to her, how she could never, ever lose him.

She only stopped when he fell onto his back, and Betty felt the sharp jolt of pain run through him.

She separated their lips so quickly that his eyes popped open, confused, and she watched his passionate, darkened eyes slowly return to their normal ocean-blue she had grown to love so much.

She pulled herself away from Jughead, and helped maneuver him back onto his side, emotions filling her from head to toe, nearly overwhelming her as she considered the inconceivable thought of losing him once again.

He pouted slightly, gazing at her with puppy dog eyes. 

Betty gave him a stern look, answering him by stating, “You were in pain.”

She quickly got up and grabbed the covers, pulling them over his lanky form.

“Thanks for checking on me, Betts,” he said with a sweet smile.

“I had to come save you, Romeo,” she replied cheekily. “It was time to repay that favor from so long ago.”

He laughed lightly, gazing at her with a loving expression.

“It was an honor, Juliet,” he answered. “I’ll do it anytime.”

“No more climbing ladders, for you, at least not for a while,” she responded. “Leave the heights to me.”

Jughead stared at her for a moment, taking her in, before answering.

“I’ll always find a way to get to you,” Jughead replied, all seriousness, his eyes shining.

She wasn’t sure if it was that statement, or the look in his eyes that did it to her, but that moment sent her spiraling over the edge.

Before she knew what was happening, tears were flooding out of her eyes. And she felt stupid. So stupid, because she was supposed to be comforting him, and making him feel better, and instead she was the one crying.

“Betts?” Jughead asked, concern written all over his face.

“I-I just could’ve lost you. Then you couldn’t get to me, you would be gone. And you can’t be gone, I’d lose my mind if you were gone…” Betty explained, bordering on hysteria.

He reaches out and touches her cheek gently.

“I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere. You know I’d never leave you,” Jughead said. “Come here…”

She climbed up next to him again, sharing his pillow. He wrapped his good arm around her waist, and pulled her close.

They both laid on their sides, gazing at each other, as she continued to cry, the tears dripping down her face.

He kissed each one away, brushing their noses together softly until her sobs finally lessened, and their foreheads were touching, and she had both arms wrapped around his neck.

He pressed their lips together once again, maneuvering his mouth around hers so gently and carefully that she felt like she could melt.

When they finally parted after a long, lazy row of sweet kisses, she curled up against his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat through the t-shirt’s thin fabric, and he laid his head on top of hers, cocooning her in his warmth.

His breathing was slow, methodical, and comforting.

After a few minutes, she finally spoke.

“Hey, Juggie?” Betty asked.

“Yeah, Betts?” Jughead responded, moving his head slightly from where it was buried in her hair.

“Why are you in my room?” Betty questioned.

“It smelled like you,” he replied. “Some nights when I can’t sleep, I come in here, and tonight, I just wanted to feel close to you.”

Her heart felt like it could burst at that very moment, right then and there.

She looked up at him, pure adoration in her eyes.

“Well, maybe we can find a way to make sure you feel close to me every night,” she replied.

He raised his eyebrows. “Are you reconsidering my offer?”

“I just can’t leave you alone anymore, Juggie,” she replied, fingers brushing his cheek. Her tone turned sarcastic as she beamed up at him. “I have to make sure you don’t fall out of any more windows.”

He smiled brightly, laughing as he leaned down to kiss her again.

Their lips parted after a brief moment, and he looks down at her. 

“You’ll live with me?” Jughead asked.

“Yes, Juggie,” she replied. “My answer, from now on, will always be yes.”

He smiled and strengthened his hold on her, pulling her in for a tight embrace.

Her chin on his shoulder, she stated, confidently, “First, we’ll take down your mom, and send her packing. Then we’ll figure this whole mess out with the Farm…”

She pulled back so she could look him in the eyes. “And, then, somehow, we’ll make sure your dad is okay, and we’ll ensure that my mom, Polly, and the twins are taken care of. They’ll be happy, and they won’t be getting sucked into cults.”

He gazed into her eyes, whispering, “And then what?”

She responded with the utmost confidence. “Then, we’re going to be together. You and me. Jellybean can spend time with your dad, and spend time with us, and we’ll love her and spoil her…” she paused. "We’ll be a family, Jug.”

He held her even tighter, swept up in the image of them living a normal life.

“Together?” Jughead murmured.

“Together.” Betty replied, pressing her lips to his.

“I love you, Betts,” he whispered, breaking them apart for just a brief moment.

“I love you too, Juggie,” she replied, bringing their lips together again. 

They lingered together for a moment, before she curled up into him, comfortable and confident in their dream one day becoming a reality.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> ~everylittlebreeze


End file.
